Vicksburg’s business community returning to some normalcy

Flood initially helps, but eventually guts, summer tourist season

The first week of May, business owners along Vicksburg’s Washington Street corridor were preparing for the Mississippi River to unleash a flood the likes of which the city hadn’t seen since 1927.

They were also preparing for a slow-to-non-existent summer tourist season. Nearly three months later, the water has receded, and the bulk of the summer has passed. The results were mixed, with the water’s threat contributing to a bump in business before the bottom fell out in June.